After the UAE was hit with heavy downpours and thunderstorms on Friday morning, motorists should check their driving habits during wet weather to stay safe on the roads.
Bad weather in the Emirates is often associated with strong winds that whip up sand and dust, or fog and mist patches that reduce visibility on the roads.
But after a lengthy dry spell in the country, the country is expected to experience more wet weather in the winter that causes poor driving conditions on the nation's roads.
Rain is set to continue throughout the day across the Northern Emirates Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Ajman until midday.
Braking distance
A major problem is drivers not giving themselves enough distance to stop in the wet when the car in front brakes suddenly or is involved in a collision.
Serious road traffic accidents in wet weather are often caused by motorists driving too fast, or not leaving enough braking distance from the vehicle in front.
Not all drivers will have experience of driving in the wet, so be prepared for unusual driving behaviour.
Avoid using cruise control on wet roads because automatic acceleration can lead to losing control once tyres regain traction after hydroplaning on standing water.
Following some golden rules can help keep drivers safe during periods of heavy rain and hazardous conditions.
Visibility
In reduced visibility, the golden rule of leaving a three-second gap from the car in front should extend to five seconds, to allow enough braking distance in an emergency.
Headlights should be turned on a low beam, with front and rear fog lights activated – but not hazard lights.
Extra care and more space should be given to vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.
Roads are likely to be slippery, increasing the chances of going into a skid and losing control.
The risk of aquaplaning is cut if speeds are reduced, allowing more time for decision-making and manoeuvres.
Know your vehicle. By using windscreen wipers properly, with the correct speed settings and air conditioning to keep windscreens clear of mist can be a life saver, offering greater visibility and longer reaction times to potential incidents ahead.
If any mechanical issues arise making visibility more challenging, always pull over to a safe rest stop and turn on hazard lights to warn other motorists.
Planning
Keep driving to essential journeys only during heavy rain.
Check your car is in good working order before leaving on longer trips, particularly windscreen washer fluid.
Keep an eye on social media and National Centre of Meteorology announcements before departure to check on and weather warnings. Listen to the radio for updates.
Road markings may become harder to see when there is standing water, but don’t stray from your lane as there is a natural tendency to wander into the middle of the motorway during periods of bad weather.
The right side of the road can be a good guide and prevent straying off centre and into oncoming traffic,
Dos and don’ts
Keep hazard lights for emergencies only, do not use them in heavy rain unless you have come to a standstill and need help.
Use rear fog lights only when visibility is reduced because they can be a distraction and dazzle motorists behind.
Fog lights can mask brake lights, so drivers behind may not see you braking.
Avoid areas where there is likely to be flooding, such as wadis or lakes and low-lying ground where floodwater is likely to gather, such as underpasses.
Do not drive into deep water. If road markings are obscured it is probably too deep to drive through.
Just a few inches of water can lead to loss of control and a potential engine stall.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Start-up hopes to end Japan's love affair with cash
Across most of Asia, people pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and merchandise with smartphone-readable barcodes — except in Japan, where cash still rules. Now, as the country’s biggest web companies race to dominate the payments market, one Tokyo-based startup says it has a fighting chance to win with its QR app.
Origami had a head start when it introduced a QR-code payment service in late 2015 and has since signed up fast-food chain KFC, Tokyo’s largest cab company Nihon Kotsu and convenience store operator Lawson. The company raised $66 million in September to expand nationwide and plans to more than double its staff of about 100 employees, says founder Yoshiki Yasui.
Origami is betting that stores, which until now relied on direct mail and email newsletters, will pay for the ability to reach customers on their smartphones. For example, a hair salon using Origami’s payment app would be able to send a message to past customers with a coupon for their next haircut.
Quick Response codes, the dotted squares that can be read by smartphone cameras, were invented in the 1990s by a unit of Toyota Motor to track automotive parts. But when the Japanese pioneered digital payments almost two decades ago with contactless cards for train fares, they chose the so-called near-field communications technology. The high cost of rolling out NFC payments, convenient ATMs and a culture where lost wallets are often returned have all been cited as reasons why cash remains king in the archipelago. In China, however, QR codes dominate.
Cashless payments, which includes credit cards, accounted for just 20 per cent of total consumer spending in Japan during 2016, compared with 60 per cent in China and 89 per cent in South Korea, according to a report by the Bank of Japan.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
